It had been a long day for Bill Miller whose job it was to screen all new novels that arrived at his publishing company. The company was getting well known and it seemed that everyone thought that they were writing a novel that would make the best seller list.
Some of the writing was so poor that the best thing that the author could do with their manuscript was to forget that they had ever written a novel. Some needed work and might someday make it to his publisher's desk. But then there was the one novel, the one that could become a best seller.
The moment he had opened the envelope containing the manuscript he had been intrigued with the story. It had been over a year since the Titanic had sank and the story had not been told through the eyes of any survivors to his knowledge.
This story was about a young girl seventeen years old who was coming to the United States to be married. Her fiancée and her were not in love she was being forced to marry him. He was a man of wealthy means and had the power to force her to do anything.
As he read more and more of the story he became very confident that this was the type of novel that he and the publishing company was willing to print. There were a few minor things that would need to be changed but for the most part he thought that the book could be published as written.
He went to Harry Marks office and knocked informing him of the novel. His manager did not seem quite as convinced as he was that the novel would make a number one sellers list, but he agreed to read it. As he read the novel, he became very interested. Bill had been right. This could be a number one seller and he needed to meet this young girl Rose.
Mr. Marx placed a call to the home of Rose and made an appointment to meet with her the following Wednesday. As Rose hung up the phone she smiled at Jack and Molly who had heard the phone ring. "That was the publisher, he is interested in publishing my book and he would like to come out here on Wednesday to meet with me. I can't believe it." she told them with much excitement in her voice.
Jack grabbed Rose and swung her around. "This is great Rose. Did he mention the money or anything?" he asked her with much excitement in his voice.
"No. He did not mention anything, but I suppose the time for negotiation will be next Wednesday." she told him and Molly.
"Well that sounds fine to me Rose. We will see what happens when Mr. Marx comes here." she told Rose with a hug and a big smile.
The next few days went slow for Rose. She had the excitement of the engagement and the novel to think of. She could not wait for Wednesday and the meeting that she was going to have with Mr. Marx.
At three that Wednesday, almost exactly on time a car came into the driveway. A middle aged man with a handlebar mustache came up the walkway and rang the bell. Rose waited for the maid to answer the door and she took one last look at herself in the mirror. Jack sat right beside her and stood up as the man walked into the room.
He could see that the young woman lived in a very well to do neighborhood and mistakenly thought that she did not need the money. Sometimes that made the bargaining better, sometimes not. He told her of how he and his staff had read the manuscript and had been impressed with the novel. The Titanic is still big news, and a novel telling the first hand story of so many people should be interesting to the public. The fact that you cover people from the first and second and third class is good. Most of the people on board the Titanic only knew one class or the other.
The story is well written and I am prepared to pay you three cents for every copy that you sell. This will be a dime novel and with any luck should sell many copies. If this novel sells we would like to offer you the chance to write further novels with more accounts of what happened that night and on the maiden voyage that never made it to it's destination.
Rose smiled, this could make her quite a bit of money. Sure if she sold only one thousand copies she would make thirty dollars, but any money that she made would be a help to their situation. It would get them closer to paying off the debt to Molly, and help with the fund for them to head to California.
Rose looked up at the man and asked him "How many novels do you think this book should sell?"
Mr. Marx smiled at the young lady and told her "If this book is as popular as I think it is going to be you could make over three thousand dollars. If this novel makes that much money, there will be more money coming in as you write more novels. But, let's wait and see. Right now I am prepared to give you a check for thirty dollars."
Jack spoke up then and told him "We would like to have our lawyer look at the contract. Once he has finished approving it, we will make the trip into the city and sign all the necessary documents."
Mr. Marx smiled and told him "That will be wise. I will hold the check until you get back to me. Thank you for your time." and with that he went and got into his car.
Rose called the attorney that Molly used and he agreed to take a look at the papers for her. She called a courier and the man picked the papers that next morning. It seemed like the lawyers were taking forever, but Monday afternoon Rose heard from them and said that everything was all right. It was a good agreement and good luck with the sales.
As Jack and Rose took the train into the city, Rose found herself very nervous. She had never done anything like this and she was glad that Jack had gone with her. The two of them entered the large office building and were let right into see Mr. Marx. They signed the papers and shook hands. Rose's book was going to be hitting the shelves within the next month and she would get one of the first copies.
As the two of them left to head back to Molly's they laughed. "Who would have known that surviving such a disaster could make you some good money." Jack told Rose as they headed back to Molly's house.
That evening they gave Molly the money. They stilled owed her a lot but it was a start. Molly was proud of her two friends and was glad that something was finally working in their favor.
